Hosiery



Aug. 45 193516 C). u. ZERK L fi HOSIERY Filed Feb. -18, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 1 wazf z zal 7 Aug. 4, 1931. K 1,817,053

HOSIERY Filed Feb. 18, 1929 ZSheets-Sheet 2 080a, Z6. Zeri Patent d Aug.4, 1931 PATENT OFFICE v OSCAR U. ZERK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS HOSIERYApplication filed February 18, 1929. Serial No. 340,739.

' My invention relates generally to ladies hosiery and the method ofmaking the same, and has for its object the provision of a novel form ofhose which, due to its construction, produces an optical illusion ofshapeliness of the limb of the wearer. A further object is to provide amethod of makin suchhosiery.

' Other (ilijects willappear from the follow- 1 ingdescription,-reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in wh1chFig. 1 shows a hose for use by a wearer having disproportionately largeankles;

- Fig. 2 shows a hose to be worn by a woman having disproportionatelylarge knees;

Fig. 3 shows a hose adapted to be worn by a woman, the calves of wholelimbs are undeveloped; I

. Fig. 4 shows a hose for wear by a woman 29 whose limbs haveoverdeveloped calves;

Fig. 5 shows a hose adapted to be worn by a woman who has bothoverdeveloped calves and large knees; and

Fig. 6 shows a hose adapted for wear bya woman having large ankles andfeet.

It has been found that although dark colored hose produce the eflect ofa slender limb, dark colored hose of a single shade and without apattern are not appealing to the eye. The optical illusion thus producedby a dark colored hoseis frequently undesirable since it not only makesthe ankle of the wearer appear smaller but also decreases the apparentsize of the calf, which, for limbs having undeveloped calves, is adisadvantage.

' Tt'has been attempted to obtain some of the advantages of my inventionby knitting portions of the hose adjacent the ankle double thickness.This, however, has the disadvantage in that it shows a sharp "break atthe line of joining the double kn1tportion with the single knit portionand thus removes the eflect of an optical illusion. i The hose of myinvention are adapted to i 475 be dyed in practically any desired coloras lon as the color is one which has a variety of tints and shades ormay be dyed in difi'erent colors which are preferably such as readilyblend into each other. I

As shown in Fig. 1, the hose 10, adapted for wear by a woman having adisproportionately large ankle, will have the ankle portion 12 a darkshade of the color of the hose and the remaining portions of the hosewill be dyed lighter tints of the same color. The shading in the drawingindicates the general idea of the proportionate depth of color of thehosp. However, the color of the hose fades gradually by practicallyimperceptible degrees from the darker shade to the lighter tints so thatthe efl'ect of the hose when worn will be that rather of a shadow thanof an actual difference in color between the various portions of thehose.

The optical illusion above referred to, namely, that the darker shadesof colors appear to make the object appear smaller than its actual sizeand that the lighter tints of the color make the object appear largerthan its actual size, is thus utilized to produce an appearance of smartshapeliness to theleg of the wearer.

The hose 14, shown in Fig. 2, is in general similar to that shown inFig. 1 except that the knee portion 16 thereof is of a darker shade thanthe calf port-ion 18 and ankle portion 20 thereof, to produce theoptical illusion of a knee which is properly proportioned in size ascompared to the other parts of the The hose 22 shown in Fig. 3, isshaded dark at both the knee portion 24 and ankle portion 26 and willthus be effective to produce the illusion of shapeliness on a leg whichhas an undeveloped calf. As in the previously described hose, the hose22 is of a single color and the knee and ankle portions 24, 26 are of avery dark shade while the intermediate calf portion 28 and the thighportion 30 of the hose are of a lighter tint. The depth of the color ofthe hose varies very gradually from the dark to the lighter portions sothat it is' impossible to observe a line of demarcation between the twoportions.

Fig. 4 shows a hose 32 adapted for wear by a woman havinganoverdeveloped calf, and the calf portion 34 of the hose is thereforecolored a dark shade and the remaining portion of the hose colored thelighter tints.

Thus, by producing the optical illusion of a l0- smaller sizecalf, thelimb attains an appearance of shapeliness in which the parts thereof arein artistic proportion.

Fig. 5 shows a hose 36 adapted for wear by a woman having enlarged lowercalf muscles and an enlarged knee. Here again the knee portion 38 andthe lower calf portion 40 of the hose which cover the parts of the legwhich are disproportionately large, are colored with a very dark shadeof the dye used to color the remaining portions of the hose andtheremaining portions of the hose are colored with lighter tints of thesame color.

Fig. 6 shows a hose 42 in which the entire lower foot portion 44 thereofand ankle portion 46 are dyed with the dark shades to improve theappearance of limbs disproportionately large at the ankle and instep.

The hose may be ingrained dyed, that is, the thread dyed prior toknitting, as is wellknown in the art. To accomplish. the dyeing of thethread to the various depths of color desired, it is preferable to useonly one color dye but to permit the thread to remain in the dye alonger period of time where the deeper color is desired. Thus, forexample, the thread may be passed at-a continuous rate of speed throughthe. dyeing solution and means provided for removing the'thread from thesolution at any desired point in its travel so that the distance whichthe thread moves through the solution may readily be varied,

' ent color depth or different colors in order to get the shaded effectsat the places shown in the drawings. a

As an alternative, the thread of which the hose is to be knitted or thecompletely knitted hose may be sprayed with dye of the desired color toproduce'the above described type of hose.

'When the hose is dyed after knitting it is preferably dyed with a dyeof a single color,;

the shades and tints thereof being obtained by leavin the hose in thedye for difierent periods 0 time. I have found that a hose of the typeshown in Fig. 6 may readily be made b suspending the hose over a tank ofdye an permitting it to slowly, at a practi- ,cally constant rate ofspeed, drop into the dye. The toe and ankle portions will thus beimmersed for a longer period and will ab-.

sorb more dye and consequently become 'a darker shade than the remainingportions of the hose: Y

The hose shown in the other figures may be dyed in a similar manner byimmersing those portions of the hose which are to be colored darkershades first and immersing the adj acent portions at a gradual rate ofspeed. By

7 thus controlling the length of time which the portion of hose hasimmersed in the dyeing solution, the hose may be dyed to obtain theeffects illustrated in the different figures of the drawings.

It is extremely desirable in this dyeing operation that the hose bemoved gradually and that adjacent incremental portions .be immersed onlya short time longer or a short time less than the next adjacent portionsso as to produce the effect of a gradual shading in the'depth of thecolor without any apparent or noticeable line of demarcation.

-Anot'her.rnethod of dyeing the hose in accordance with my inventioncomprises having a vat filled with a' liquid or a solution in which thedye does not dissolve and which liquid or solution is heavier than thenormal dye solution, and above this liquid or solution having arelatively thin layer of the dyeing solution. In this manner the hose,which may be put on a suitable form, may be passed through the dyeingsolution at any desired speed into the inactive or inert liquid orsolution to produce any desired shading and tinting efi'ect.

Other methods may of course be used to dye the hose.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it will be understood that I do not wish to limit myself tothe specific disclosure but that other decorative patterns may-be addedto the hose shown. For example, clocks, lined or blocked shapeliness ofthe wearers leg, substantially the whole of the hose being of one colorbut having portions thereof of different tints and shades of said color,the portion of the hose which is to cover a part of the wearers leg atwhich it is desired to produce an illusion of smallness being of arelatively dark shade and that portion of the hose which is to cover apart of the wearers leg at which it is desired to produce an illusion ofincreased size being of a substantially lighter tint, the part of thehose intermediate the shaded ortion and the tinted portion varying by sustantially imperceptible degrees of color depth from the darkest shadeto the lightest tint.

2. As an article of manufacture, a hose having the incrementaltransverse sections thereof of different color depth, the portions ofthe hose adapted to covera part of the leg of the wearer which is ofdisproportionately large size being shaded the darkest I whereby anoptical illusion of shapeliness of the wearers leg is produced by thevariation in color depth without producin a noticeable line ofdemarcation'of color epth.

3. As' an article of manufacture, a hose having the incrementaltransverse sections thereof of different color depth, the portions ofthe hose adapted to cover a part of the leg of the wearer which is ofdisproportionately small size being tinted the lightest, whereby anoptical illusion of shapeliness of the wear ers leg is produced byvariation in color depth without producing a noticeable line ofdemarcation of color depth.

4. As an article of manufacture, a hose adapted to produce the opticalillusion of shapeliness of the wearers leg, said hose having portionsthereof of different tints and shades, the portion of the hose which isto cover a part of the wearers leg at which it is desired to produce anillusion of smallnessbeing of a relatively dark shade and that portionof the hose which is to cover apart of the wearers leg at which it isdesired to produce an illusion of increased size being of asubstantially lighter tint, the part of the hose intermediate the shadedportion and the tinted portion varying by substantially imperceptibledegrees of color variation from the darkest shade to the lightest tint."

5. As an article of manufacture, a hose adapted to produce the opticalillusion of shapeliness of a wearers leg which is unusually large at theankle and at the knee, said hose having-the portions thereof which areadapted to cover the knee and ankle of a relatively dark shade andhaving the remain ing portions thereof of a substantially lighter tint,the part of the hose intermediate the shaded and tinted portions varyingby substantially imperceptible degrees of color variations from thedarkest shade to the lightest tint.

6. As an article of manufacture, a hose adapted to produce the opticalillusion of shapeliness of a wearers leg which is unusually large at theknee, said hose having the portion thereof which is adaptedto cover theknee of a relatively dark shade and the remaining portions of the hoseof a relatively lighter tint, the shaded portion blending bysubstantially imperceptible degrees of color variation from the darkestpart of the shaded portion to the tinted portions of the hose.

7. As an article of manufacture, .a hose adapted to produce the opticalillusion of shapeliness of a wearers leg which has an enlarged ankle,said hose having the portion thereof which is adapted to cover the ankleof a relatively dark shade and having the re- I each side of the ankleportion colored in substantially lighter tints, the shaded portiondarkest shade in the ankle portion to the ilightest tints in theremaining portions of the ose.

8. As an article of manufacture, a hose adapted to produce the opticalillusion of shapeliness of the wearers 1e said hose having portionsthereof of di erent tints and shades, the portion of the hose which isto cover the part of the wearers leg at which it is desired to producean illusion of smallness being of a relatively dark shade and thatportion which is to cover the part of the wearers leg at which it isdesired to produce an illusion of increased size bein of substantiallylighter tint, the parts 0 i the hose on each side of the darker shadedportion varying by substantially imperce tible degrees of colorvariation from the dar est shade to the lighter tints. 1

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this15th day of Febn,1929.

OSCAR U. ZERK.

of the hose blending by substantially imperceptible de ree's'of colorvariation in both directions From the ankle portion from the

